Standing up for Cafés on the Heath

I am deeply concerned that we are at risk of losing our beloved cafes on Hampstead Heath. These independent businesses are cornerstones of our community and part of the unique charm of the area we call home. They are not simply a line on a balance sheet but instead make Hampstead Heath the place it is; where families take children to run around, dog-owners meet up for a walk, and old friends have catch up over a coffee. These businesses should be rewarded for their hard work, not threatened with replacement.

This is why I support my constituents’ campaign and signed their petition to the City of London to keep the cafés independent and run by local people. With over 20,000 signatures, it shows the strength of love local people have for these cafes, which the City of London must consider. Last week, I stood alongside campaigners at the Lido and Parliament Hill cafes to show my support. I have since met with the City of London to raise my constituents’ concerns directly.

In this meeting, I strongly urged the City of London to engage with the communities that use the Heath to make decisions that support irreplaceable independent businesses and protect the Heath for future generations. The City committed to coming back to me with a proposal for how they are going to engage going forward as well as written answers to specific questions I put forward. I am pleased that the City of London agreed to undertake more engagement with the public going forward and I plan to hold them to this commitment.

Celebrating Community Heroes

I am so grateful to those who came to my community heroes event in Parliament earlier this month. We welcomed many schools, faith organisations, and charities who work hard day in, day out to bring people closer and stitch the fabric of our community together. I was particularly pleased to hear that so many people met each other for the first time. We are lucky to have these organisations in our constituency, and it was an honour to bring people together to say thank you.

Heathrow Expansion and Air Quality

At my community heroes event, I was delighted to celebrate the work of local climate groups, Green School Runs and the London Clean Air Initiative. Together, we have worked closely to promote environmentally responsible travel choices and improve air quality in London. Shortly after this event, I spoke in Parliament about the concerns my constituents have about the health and environmental impact that Heathrow expansion could have on London. Ahead of the Government’s review into airport expansion, I called on the Transport Secretary to ensure air quality will be at the heart of these discussions.

Shortly after this event, I spoke in Parliament about the concerns my constituents have about the health and environmental impact that Heathrow expansion could have on London. Ahead of the Government’s review into airport expansion, I called on the Transport Secretary to ensure air quality will be at the heart of these discussions.

Tackling the Disability Poverty Premium 

I am proud to have played my part in pioneering Labour’s Financial Inclusion Strategy. It is an issue that affects so many families in my constituency, but particularly those with disabilities. Disabled people are often charged more or turned down for insurance because their health conditions, pushing them further into poverty. That’s why I called on the Government to address this issue. I will be meeting with financial inclusion charities in the coming weeks to find out what more I can do to support the most vulnerable in our community.

Standing up for Local Cabbies

Many of my constituents in Hampstead and Highgate are taxi drivers who rely on their cars for their main source of income. I have been supporting local drivers renew their licenses after facing very long delays, and I am often reminded by how precarious these jobs are. In a debate yesterday about self-driving cars, I called on the Government to ensure that my constituents’ jobs are protected into the future. The MP who called the debate, Sarah Coombes, agreed with me and called on the Government to do more to protect jobs like these from automation and invest in reskilling programmes. I am pleased the Transport Minister acknowledged my concerns and assured me that the focus of the Government is to complement and improve public transport, and not to replace current forms of transport or employment.

Supporting Ukrainian Refugees

I have recently been supporting my constituent who is a refugee from Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, where her home and livelihood was destroyed. In the coming days she risks becoming homeless, after losing her job 8 months ago. Despite applying for hundreds of jobs, the uncertainty of her three-year visa expiring this December has left her in limbo. She can’t secure a job or a new tenancy agreement, until she is eligible to apply for an extension to her visa next month. In Parliament, I urged the Foreign Secretary to review the Ukrainian Visa Scheme for constituents like mine who want to build a life in Britain.

Visiting the Royal Free Robot Surgeon

I was thrilled to support the fundraising appeal for a new surgical robot for the Royal Free Charity. This incredible piece of kit will help medics perform life-saving surgery on thousands of people with cancer. Patients have a much faster recovery, less pain, fewer complications. It also means medics can treat so many more patients in urgent need without the need for any extra beds.

Big thanks to chief robotic nurse Angeline and robotic programme lead Ravi who kindly let me have a go on the robot. It was fun but I don’t think I’m quite ready to operate yet! Any support you can give to the robot appeal will be hugely appreciated by all those who rely on this state-of-the-art cancer care. Find out more and donate here https://royalfreecharity.org/surgicalrobot

It was lovely to meet Noel Brock to see his work at UCS and learn more about the role that landscaping plays in flood management, biodiversity and boosting mental health. This felt like a timely conversation during this year’s Flood Action Week.

October Casework Update

Helping constituents will always be my number one priority. My team and I handled over 200 cases this month! I am a big champion for accessibility, inclusion, and the need for clear communication for my constituents when they need help from the Government. I was therefore concerned to be told by a constituent that they had been trying for seven months to contact the DWP regarding their state pension, without a resolution. Shortly after my intervention, they received a direct call from a Senior Resolution Manager to offer their support. I was delighted to receive this email from my constituent afterwards: “I want to thank you for intervening on my behalf, I have been telling all my friends how wonderful it is to have an MP who takes up individual constituent problems.”

Standing up for Ukrainian refugees has also been a big part of my work in Parliament over the last three years. This month, I escalated one family’s concerns about the delays in processing their daughter’s Ukraine Permission Extension scheme visa application with the Home Office. Upon investigation, they made the decision to grant her application and concluded their standards had missed the mark on this occasion. The family were awarded a consolatory payment of £100 as a result. Her mum sent me this lovely email: “At first, we decided not to claim it, because we are very grateful for the visa itself. But [our daughter] started electric guitar lessons this month at school, and she seems to be very into it, so she asked if we could buy her a guitar with that money. We decided to go for it…Thank you again for your help.”

Community Bulletin

Christmas Card Competition

I am delighted to announce that following last year’s success, this year I will be running another Christmas Card competition. This is an opportunity for primary schools in Hampstead and Highgate to showcase their creativity and display their artistic talents, with the winning entry featuring on the front of my official Christmas Card!

The winner and runners up will also all be welcomed with their families to the Houses of Parliament for a special Celebratory Reception where they will meet with me, enjoy child-friendly entertainment and celebrate their achievements.

We would love to see as many children as possible taking part, and we hope your school will encourage pupils to get involved.

Entries should be created on A4 paper in landscape orientation and can be submitted via a response to tulip.siddiq.mp@parliament.uk as either a JPEG or PNG. Please ensure that all entries are clearly marked with the child’s name, age, year group and school.

Please submit all entries by Friday 14th November 2025 at the latest. Judging will then commence, and the winner and runners up will be announced before the end of November. The Celebratory Reception will take place on evening of December 17th.

New Post Office in Highgate!

I am pleased to share that a new Post Office will be opening at Highgate Stationer and General Store, 7 Highgate High Street, London, N6 5JR on Thursday 20 November 2025. This service will be a Drop & Collect branch, which is a lighter, flexible branch format.

This will offer Post Office services from a handheld device, providing convenient access for customers to bill payments and prepaid parcel collections and returns. To maximise accessibility to these services that our customers are increasingly seeking, more complex services like personal and business banking will not be available at this branch.

A wider range of Post Office services are available from the nearby branches at Highgate Post Office, 361 Archway Road, N6 4EJ and Upper Holloway Post Office, 55-57 Junction Road, Archway, N19 5QU.

Swiss Cottage Post Office Re-Opens!

As regular readers will know, I have been engaging with the Post Office and the Government on the importance of keeping Post Office branches open in my constituency open. Having recently campaigned to protect our Hampstead Post Office, I am pleased that the Swiss Cottage Post Office has reopened! My constituents will be able to access important services such as banking at this branch, which I know is particularly important for older people and local businesses.

Their new address is 7 Northways Parade, South Hampstead, London, NW3 5EN.

Warm Hub Opening in Highgate!

I am pleased to share that the Warm Hub at Highgate Newtown Community Partners is now open. From Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 12:30pm, you can grab a free tea and coffee and croissant for 50p!

A great deal of effort has gone into setting up the new community centre on Bertram Street, which now offers a huge range of activities including sports and fitness, art and art therapy sessions, and a warm hub for residents. They are also strengthening outreach with local partners and schools — including Moon Women’s Health — and celebrating the opening of a new community laundry this month. Alongside local residents, they are planning more tabletop events and a festive Christmas craft market. The centre will also be open on Christmas Day offering a festive lunch. Check out their website to found more: Highgate Newtown Community Partners

Support from Age UK

As it gets colder, I know that some of my older constituents may be worried about paying their energy bills and staying warm. Knowing what financial help is available can ease some of the worry. This guide from Age UK has more information: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/energy/cost-of-living-payments/

Age UK also have some great energy saving tips, which you can check out here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/debt-savings/energy/energy-saving-tips/

Apprenticeship Opportunities at Channel 4

Ready to kickstart your career journey and dream of working in telly? Channel 4’s apprenticeship programme is now open to applications for places in London! Gain Level 4, or 7 qualifications while actively contributing to exciting projects. Find out more here and apply today!

Your Station, Your Community Improvement Fund

Govia Thameslink Railway has launched the next round of its Your Station, Your Community Improvement Fund and is inviting applications. The fund supports causes which build lasting social value through themes such as positive mental health, diversity and inclusion, employability & skills, environmental sustainability and improving station environments.

For more information, and to see if your organisation qualifies, please visit the website link Thameslink – Your station Your community Improvement Fund.

A previous beneficiary in our constituency is Kentish Town City Farm, who used this funding to run two community clubs. These clubs provided space for different parts of the community to come together. ‘Growing Club’ ran on Sunday mornings throughout the year, with 143 people attending over the course of the year, as well as workshops on ‘growing autumn salads’ and ‘keeping healthy over winter’.